Kuzma Day

Barons to Play on Kuzma Day this Saturday

1/24/2025 2:00:00 PM

Game #18 - Kuzma Day
Franciscan (10-7 | 5-7 PAC) vs. Grove City (13-4 | 10-2 PAC) 
Saturday, Jan. 25th | 3:00 p.m.
Finnegan Fieldhouse | Steubenville, Ohio

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The Latest
- Franciscan hosted Saint Vincent on Wednesday evening in Finnegan Fieldhouse. The Bearcats went on a run halfway through the opening half to take a commanding lead that they did not relinquish for the rest of the game. 

- Josh Zimmerman and Tavis Zimmerman led the Barons with 14 points. Travis pulled in a team-high 12 rebounds to record his second double-double of the season.

The Barons sit in a tie for the sixth and final playoff spot with a 5-7 PAC mark with eight games remaining.

Scouting the Wolverines
- Grove City has won eight of their last nine games with the lone loss being a two-point overtime loss to Saint Vincent. Their 10-2 PAC mark sits them in second in the league with eight conference games remaining.

- These two teams played on November 23rd with the Wolverines beating the Barons 73-58. The Wolverines shot 50% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc in an efficient offensive performance.

- Chase Yarberough leads the Wolverines in scoring at 15.5 ppg, but Mike Christenson has the hot hat, as he scored 35 points against Westminster in their last win. 

Look Around the League
standings

Sawyer's Stellar Sophomore Season 
- At 18.1 ppg, Sawyer Butler leads the Barons and is second in scoring in the PAC. 

- He has scored 20+ points in nine games this season, but he is coming off just his second game of the year that he was held to single-digit scoring.

- He is Top 10 in the PAC in free throw percentage, three-point field goal percentage, assists, and steals, as he is filling up the scoresheet each and every night. 

Kuzma Day
- Coach Hank Kuzma coached the Barons from 1954-58 and then again from 1978-81. He accumulated 131 wins over seven seasons which is the most by any coach at Franciscan all-time. 

- During the 1957-58 season, he led the Barons to a 24-1 record with players like Jim Smith, John Blanda, Bill Rahuba, and Bob Maher being major contributors. After the season, the Barons would be voted the #1 Small College team in the Nation by the United Press International.

- We get to honor his legacy on Saturday for his coaching prowess and so much more on Kuzma Court in Finnegan Fieldhouse. 

Mr. Zimmerman Tracker
- Josh Zimmerman enters this game with 1,346 points to have the seventh most all-time. Don Rogich '79 sits in sixth with 1,394 points. Sean Hickey '21 holds the Franciscan Division III record with 1,692 points, and Paul Brownlee '56 sits atop the all-time rankings with 2,433 points.

-Zimmerman holds a pair of program records. He is top in all-time assists with 312, and he is the program's all-time leader in steals with 234. His 3.4 steals per game this season is the best in the PAC.

- He jumped to 10th all-time in rebounding with 679 boards, as he passed Bill Linderman '71 and Walt Osborne '67 with six rebounds against Saint Vincent. Chuck Zerger '63 sits in ninth with 767 rebounds. Matt Trent '20 holds the Franciscan Division III record with 781 rebounds, and "Big" Jim Smith '58 sits atop the rankings and all levels of collegiate basketball with 2,334 rebounds.

- He has played in 109 games so far over his six seasons in Steubenville which is third most in program history. Former teammate Sean Hickey '21 sits in second with 111 games played over his stellar Franciscan career. Jim Smith played in the most with 113 over four years for the two-time All-American.

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